When you stack draft classes on paper, you usually look at things like college production, scheme fits, and which strengths a rookie might bring to the table. But there's another metric that has quietly become one of the most reliable indicators of a front office's philosophy: the Relative Athletic Score, or RAS.
And by that measure, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did more than just have a good draft in 2026. They lapped the field.
According to RAS metrics from Kent Lee Platte, the Buccaneers finished with the most athletic draft class in the entire NFL, posting a jaw-dropping 9.68 average RAS score across their four drafted players who had measurable scores. That mark edged out the Chicago Bears by 0.2 points for the top spot in the league, confirming that general manager Jason Licht and his scouting department placed a massive emphasis on raw physical traits when building the next wave of Bucs talent.
Let's break down what this number means, how Tampa Bay got there, and why it matters for the 2026 season and beyond.
What is RAS, and Why Should You Care?
For the uninitiated, Relative Athletic Score is a metric developed by Kent Lee Platte that measures a prospect's athletic testing numbers -- 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, shuttle, and bench press -- against historical averages for their specific position. The result is a score from 0 to 10, where 10 represents an elite athletic profile and anything above 8 is considered blue-chip athleticism.
It's not a perfect predictor of NFL success -- plenty of great athletes have busted, and plenty of average athletes have become stars. But when a team consistently drafts high-RAS players, it reveals a clear organizational preference for upside, developmental ceiling, and traits over polished but limited prospects.
The Buccaneers have leaned into this philosophy in recent years, but the 2026 class represents an outlier even by their standards.
The Numbers: 9.68 Average Across Four Measurable Picks
Tampa Bay made six selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. Of those, four players had full measurable data available for RAS calculation. The other two -- likely either small-school prospects without combine invites or players who didn't complete enough drills to receive a composite score -- didn't factor into the ranking.
But those four who did? They averaged a 9.68.
That means the typical Bucs draftee was not just a good athlete. They were a near-elite athlete for their position. To put that in perspective, a 9.68 average would mean most of these players finished in the 96th percentile or better in overall athleticism compared to their positional peers. That is an extraordinary concentration of freaky physical talent in a single draft class.
The Bears, who finished second, posted a 9.48 average. The difference between first and second place (0.2 points) is small in absolute terms but significant in the context of how tight RAS scores cluster at the top. Tampa Bay didn't just win the athleticism derby -- they separated themselves from the pack.
Why This Matters for Jason Licht's Roster Construction
Jason Licht has been the Buccaneers' general manager since 2014, and his drafts have always leaned toward high-character, productive college players. But the 2026 class marks a noticeable shift in emphasis toward explosiveness and measurables.
Part of that is necessity. The Buccaneers are navigating a tricky salary cap situation. They've got expensive veterans at quarterback, wide receiver, and along the defensive line. Rookie contracts are the lifeblood of any contending roster, and the team needs contributors who can develop quickly without costing premium dollars.
Drafting elite athletes gives the coaching staff more raw material to mold. A player with a 9.5 RAS who might be raw technically can often be developed into a starter faster than a technically refined player with 6.0 athleticism -- especially at positions like edge rusher, cornerback, and offensive tackle, where explosion and change of direction matter most.
It also signals that the Buccaneers believe in their developmental infrastructure. Drafting athletes requires confidence that your position coaches can teach technique, footwork, and scheme recognition. The fact that Tampa Bay went all-in on traits suggests the coaching staff -- led by head coach Todd Bowles -- is comfortable betting on potential over polish.
Breaking Down the Class: Who Boosted the Average?
While exact player names and their individual RAS scores weren't published in the initial findings, we can infer which positions likely contributed to this historic average. High-RAS picks typically come from positions where athletic testing is most predictive: edge rusher, cornerback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, and safety.
Given that the Bucs entered the draft with needs at cornerback, along the offensive line, and in the pass rush rotation, it's reasonable to assume their top selections fit that profile. A first-round cornerback with elite explosion numbers, a second-round edge rusher with a sub-4.6 forty, and a mid-round safety who tested off the charts would all slot into that 9.0-plus range.
Platte's methodology also accounts for size-adjusted athleticism, so a bigger player who moves exceptionally well for his weight will score higher than a smaller player with the same raw numbers. The Buccaneers have historically valued length and mass at the point of attack, particularly on defense. If their 2026 picks were both large and explosive, that's a double win.
How the Bucs Stack Up Against Recent History
To understand just how impressive a 9.68 class average is, consider where other top athletic draft classes have landed in recent years. Teams that have prioritized RAS -- like the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles -- have typically posted averages in the 8.5 to 9.0 range. A handful of outlier classes have touched 9.2 or 9.3.
Averaging 9.68 is genuinely rare. It means the Buccaneers essentially did not make a single selection below a 9.0 RAS among their core picks. That level of consistency is almost unheard of in a single draft, especially when you account for the fact that teams often reach for need or scheme fit in later rounds, sacrificing athletic upside for intangibles.
The 0.2-point gap over the Bears might seem small, but in the RAS universe, that's a clear tier difference. The Bears had a great athletic class. The Buccaneers had a historically great one.
Sourcing: What We Know and What We Don't
This information was originally reported by Andrew Harbaugh of Buccaneers Wire / USA Today, citing Kent Lee Platte's RAS database. The data is based on measurable scores from the combine and pro days, scaled and normalized by position. It represents a confirmed and verified metric, not speculation or rumor.
What we don't yet know is the full breakdown of individual RAS scores for each Bucs pick. Platte typically publishes those numbers publicly on his RAS website and Twitter feed, so a deeper dive into which players specifically boosted the average and which (if any) dragged it down will likely emerge in the coming days.
We also don't know how the two players without RAS scores would have affected the average. If they tested poorly or simply didn't have sufficient data, the class average could shift once those numbers are included. But as of the initial reporting, the four-player subset is the basis for the #1 ranking.
What It Means for the 2026 Season
Fans should be excited, but measured. Athleticism alone doesn't win games. Technique, football IQ, scheme fit, and injury luck all play enormous roles in whether a draft class produces. But the Buccaneers have given themselves a higher floor for development. These rookies enter the league with the physical tools to compete immediately at many positions.
For a team that finished near the top of the NFC South in 2025 and projects to compete again in 2026, hitting on this draft class could extend Tampa Bay's championship window. If even two or three of these athletic rookies become starters by Year 2, the Bucs will have extracted enormous value from their picks.
The 2026 NFL Draft class is already drawing comparisons to some of the most athletic hauls in recent memory. For the Buccaneers, it's more than a talking point -- it's a blueprint. A 9.68 average RAS doesn't guarantee a Super Bowl, but it does guarantee that Tampa Bay's young players will have the physical foundation to chase one.
